Lubbock County JP Hansen gets nearly $7,000 raise

Published: Saturday, August 23, 2008

LOGAN G. CARVER

Justice of the Peace Jim Hansen will be the highest-paid justice court judge in the 2009 fiscal year.

A nine-person panel of former grand jurors unanimously approved a nearly $7,000 raise for the judge, whose Southwest Lubbock precinct has seen a dramatic increase in caseload during the last few years.

Hansen will now earn the same salary as the county commissioners, county clerk and district clerk at $55,839.94.

The other three JP's salaries will remain the same at $49,520.

All elected officials had the opportunity to contest their salaries, but Hansen was the only one to go before the committee.

Hansen contested after commissioners last week declined to give raises to elected officials.

The only exception was the county judge, whose salary is statutorily tied to the auditor's salary. Commissioners said the auditor deserved a raise.

"We need to pay the auditor and I agree with that," said committee member Gene Crites, owner of Snell Staffing and Payroll Services. "But we need to pay good JPs too."

The hearing lasted almost an hour, with Hansen explaining his expanding caseload and justifying the salary increase.

He said the raise would not burden taxpayers or the county budget because his raise would be fully funded by Senate Bill 1412, which went into effect Jan. 1.

The bill increased the filing fee for justice court civil cases by $10 to $15 and earmarked the money to help fund the increased workload of the justice courts.

Hansen touted his workload, saying he handled more justice court civil cases than the other three justice courts combined - 1,450 in Precinct 1, compared to 1,006 in Precincts 2, 3 and 4.

"I'm really delighted the citizens committee - they were obviously intelligent people and asked great questions - sided with me," Hansen said. "Their decision was the right one."

After the committee members adjourned, Crites said Hansen deserved the raise because he is on call 24 hours a day and works hard.

"Walk down here at 4:50 and how many people have already split," Crites said.

Commissioner Bill McCay spoke on behalf of the commissioners but only answered questions committee members posed and did not speak for or against an increase for the judge.

After the hearing, McCay justified commissioners' decision to keep elected officials' salaries stagnant.

"Elected officials' pay is a low priority," he said. "The highest priority is efficient use of tax dollars."